This invention relates to a device and method for unlocking elevator doors.
Conventional passenger elevators are subject to deactivation due to power failure, circuit problems, etc., and when this occurs, the elevator will frequently stall between floors or become immobilized at a floor level. Usually, lock mechanisms are specifically designed to prevent door opening during normal operations, and hence, when a power failure or other similar occurrence causes an elevator interruption, it becomes quite difficult to unlock the mechanism and open the door.
However, it is frequently very important to open the elevator doors quickly because of panic and health problems, or because of the occasional necessity for an emergency evacuation from a building itself.
One problem associated with many unlocking tools is that when inserted obliquely through an opening, and thrust forward to a catch or lock, etc., the oblique entry causes the tool to angle away from the lock; this makes it quite awkward to contact and manipulate the lock.
An inexpensive device for unlocking elevators is desired which is easy to operate without requiring expert skills; also, the device should be designed to unlock an elevator quickly. The device sould be sufficiently simple so that it does not require servicing, and a device having no moving parts which can readily stored for easy access is preferred.